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CINCINNATI — No Joey Votto. No Brandon Phillips. No problem for Ryan Ludwick and the Cincinnati
Reds.

Ludwick homered and drove in four runs for the second consecutive game, and the Reds kept up
their hot streak with a 6-4 win over the San Diego Padres last night.

Ludwick drove in the go-ahead run twice to lead the Reds (63-41) to their 19th victory in 22
games. Despite playing without Votto and Phillips, they moved 22 games over .500 for the first time
since Sept. 5, 2010.

“With Joey out, it’s been different people at different times,” said Ludwick, who’s hitting .388
(19 for 49) with six home runs and 20 RBI since Votto left the lineup on July 16. “Phillips,
myself, Zack Cozart, the pitching — everybody’s pitching in. Now, with Phillips out, it’s even more
important for everybody to pitch in.”

The Reds remained three games ahead of second-place Pittsburgh in the National League Central.
The Pirates open a three-game series in Cincinnati on Friday.

Cozart also homered, and Bronson Arroyo pitched six innings to earn his third straight win and
fourth in five starts. Arroyo (7-6) allowed seven hits and four runs with two walks and one
strikeout.

Sean Marshall worked a scoreless seventh and Jonathan Broxton a spotless eighth in his
Cincinnati debut after being acquired on Tuesday from Kansas City. Aroldis Chapman pitched the
ninth for his 23rd save.

“This is a good team here,” said Broxton, who arrived at the ballpark shortly before the first
pitch. “I’m happy to be a part of it. Going from last place to first is a big jump.”

Chase Headley homered for the Padres. They couldn’t capitalize on the absence of Votto and
Phillips, who form the right side of Cincinnati’s regular infield.

Votto is on the disabled list following knee surgery, and Phillips sat out because of a strained
left calf.

San Diego led 4-3 when Drew Stubbs singled with one out in the fifth off Padres starter Kip
Wells. Jay Bruce drove in Stubbs with a double down the right-field line. Dale Thayer got Scott
Rolen to fly out before Ludwick lined a go-ahead single to right.

This is the Ludwick expected by manager Dusty Baker after the Reds signed him as a free agent in
January.

“He’s been an RBI man most of his career,” Baker said. “This is the first time in the last
couple of years where he wasn’t traded at the deadline. He’s doing everything in his power to try
to find a home.”

San Diego manager Bud Black wishes he’d seen this side of Ludwick when the two were together in
San Diego over parts of the past two seasons.

“Ludwick has been hot over the last three weeks, not just this series,” Black said. “He’s really
done well. When a hitter’s in a groove like that, he’s going to get his hits.”

Arroyo walked Alexi Amarista on four pitches leading off the game. After Will Venable flied out,
Headley hit a 1-and-0 pitch an estimated 406 feet into the right-field seats for his career-high
13th homer.

Cozart, who opened Cincinnati’s 6-0 win on July 6 in San Diego with a home run off Wells,
started the bottom of the first with his 11th homer. Ludwick gave Cincinnati a 3-2 lead by
following Rolen’s two-out walk with a drive to left for his 19th homer.

San Diego took a 4-3 lead with a two-run fourth, stringing together consecutive two-out singles
by Wells, Amarista, Venable and Headley.

“It was a battle, back-and-forth for a while,” Arroyo said. “That’s the way it’s been the whole
series. It was nice to come out with a win tonight.”